The Generation Before
by Lady Lylia
Summary: The story of The Generation Before the current Hogwarts crew. DISCLAIMER: I only own some characters and most of the plot. I SWEAR LEFT RIGHT AND SIDEWAYS THAT THIS ISN'T ANOTHER L/J LOVE'N'HATE FIC. Trust me. Some fluff, but no slash, no Mary-Sues! :)
1. Platform 9 3/4

At the space between platforms 9 and 10 at the Kings Cross station, a young girl stood alone. She was only eleven, with lovely red hair in soft curls and stunning green eyes. She carried a large duffle bag and a massive suitcase, yet she seemed very small and alone among the crowds of people. "Excuse me?" she asked an old man wearing the garb of a station worker and pushing a broom, "Where is Platform 9 3/ 4?"  
  
The grizzled old man just looked at her and sighed. "Missie, there ain't no Platform 9 3/ 4, there never was a Platform 9 3/ 4, and there never will be a Platform 9 3/ 4! How many foolish younguns have I had to tell that to today?" The shriveled little man turned around and kept pushing his broom, muttering all the while about the gullibility of children these days.  
  
She sighed softly, nearly in tears. She had gotten a letter of admittance to go to a school of magic. Her parents had let her go, even though her sister was totally against it, and now she was here, at the train station where she was supposed to be, but the platform wasn't there!  
  
Then, suddenly, she saw something that gave her hope! There was a boy, about her age, walking right towards the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10, but that was not why she had noticed him. A week ago, her mother and father had taken her to get her school clothes. Those clothes did not look anything like the uniforms at her old private school, but instead more resembled black bathrobes or graduation gowns. She had packed hers in her suitcase. Well, that was what the boy coming towards her was wearing!  
  
"Excuse me?" she whispered tentatively, hoping not to get yelled at again, "Where is Platform 9 3/ 4?"  
  
Fortunately, the boy didn't yell. He just smiled at her. He looked, well, nice, she thought. His black hair was messy, like he had never combed it in his life, and he wore glasses over his brown eyes. "You've never traveled on the Hogwarts Express before, have you?" She just shook her head. "Don't worry, it's my first time too," he said with another smile. "By the way, I'm James, James Potter. What's your name?"  
  
"Lily Stevens. It's nice to meet you, James," Lily said shyly. Then she frowned a little. "How do we get on the train?"  
  
"Oh, it is supposed to be easy," James said with a shrug. "All you have to do is walk through the wall."  
  
Lily squeaked, "Through the WALL?!"  
  
"Oh, it's simple. Watch!" James took a running leap, and flew right through the wall, disappearing. Then he walked back out again with a cocky grin. "Ta-dah! Why don't you try it?"  
  
Suddenly very nervous, Lily grabbed her bags and charged the wall, her eyes squeezed shut. She felt herself hit a wall, not hard, and nearly started crying. Fortunately, she opened her eyes almost immediately, and then Lily realized she had crossed through the wall after all. She was on a new platform, with a train, painted fire-engine red, there. Golden letters on the wall behind her said "9 3/ 4". At last!  
  
The boy, James, ran through again. "Can we share a train-car for the ride?" he asked. The brash boy suddenly seemed a little shy.  
  
"Of course," Lily replied with a smile. The two grabbed their bags and boarded the Hogwarts Express. 


	2. The Hogwarts Express

Lily and James quickly boarded the Hogwarts Express, along with dozens of other children. Most, especially the older kids, were laughing and shoving each other, while the younger ones were trying to remain unnoticed as they boarded the train. James and Lily pushed their way through the thick crowd, finally making it to one of the middle train cars.  
  
They had only just sat down when KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! The door jerked open a crack, rather hesitantly. "Hello?" A boy about their age peeked his head through the door. He had mousy brown hair to his chin and delicate grey eyes. "There's no cars left on the train, and-" the boy was suddenly jostled out of the way by another boy. This one was much taller and broader, though still only their age, with laughing brown eyes and almost black hair. "Hey, can we share this car? There's no room left."  
  
James just grinned and nodded. "Go ahead, plenty of room."  
  
"Thanks," both boys said in unison, quickly climbing into the car. Both sat in the bench seat opposite the one James and Lily were in.  
  
James reached out his hand to shake with both of them. "I'm James Potter, and this is Lily Evans."  
  
The taller boy with the darker hair grabbed James' hand first. "I'm Sirius Black."  
  
The other boy took Lily's hand and smiled sweetly. "And I'm Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you both." He got up and made sure the car door was open, "in case anyone else needs a seat."  
  
It turned out two more people did. Arabella Figg came in a minute later, her long blonde hair billowing behind her. She sat next to Lily, and the two immediately engaged in girl talk. Next was Peter Pettigrew, a short, rotund boy with freckles and a dark buzz cut. He sat on the other side of Sirius, and he always laughed too hard for too long at the other boys' jokes.  
  
After a little while, the six engaged in conversation. It was the first year at Hogwarts for each. "I'm a half muggle," James said, then added with a grin, "I think it's to blame for my hair!"  
  
"Half muggle?" Lily asked.  
  
"Muggles are the humans who don't know about magic."  
  
"That's my parents, then," Lily replied.  
  
"My folks on both sides are witches and wizards at least ten generations back," Arabella said with pride.  
  
"No muggle in me either," added Peter. "I ain't no mudblood!"  
  
James's jaw dropped; Arabella gasped. Sirius's eyes grew big in his skull, then he punched Peter on the arm, hard. "Don't ever, EVER, say anything about mudbloods again!"  
  
"Honestly, Peter," Remus added. "We have at least one muggle born and two halves in the car, including me, and you talk about mudbloods!"  
  
"I'm sorry, guys. I was kidding, honest!" Peter faded quietly into the background for most of the remainder of the trip, possibly due to Sirius's occasional glares in his direction.  
  
"So, Remus," Lily said after an uncomfortably long silence, "you are a half muggle?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, "my dad left my mum when he found out she was a witch, but she didn't tell him until after they had me. Her line is witches and wizards all the way back to Salem over in the States, though. What about you, Sirius?"  
  
"I'm 100% wizard."  
  
Their conversations continued for quite a while, until the train screeched to a stop. Everyone clamored off the train, and a huge voice rang out, "Firs' years! This way! Follow me!"  
  
All six turned and stared in shock at the man who had spoken. He was fairly young, only about eighteen or nineteen, but he was huge! He stood over seven feet tall, his shoulders reaching about four feet across. A thick mat of dark, unruly hair and a matching beard fell down his shoulders, and his ruddy face was even redder from shouting. "All firs' years, follow me! Yeh all come along, firs' years!"  
  
The children clamored behind him. A dozen or so rowboats stood awaiting. "Four 'o a boat, come along! Hurry up, they're awaiting for yeh!" The six friends got split up. In the end, Peter, Remus, Arabella, and Sirius got on one boat, while James and Lily got herded onto another. They were with two other boys. One was short and slender, with blonde-white hair and cold grey eyes. The other, tall and thin, had almost feverish emerald eyes and lank, greasy black hair. The short blonde quickly shook Lily's hand. "I'm Lucius Malfoy. Who would you be?"  
  
"Lily Evans," she said hesitantly. Something about those two didn't sit well with her.  
  
"Evans," the tall one hissed.  
  
"Sounds like a mudblood name to me, eh Severus?" Lucius said coolly.  
  
"Don't call Lily a mudblood. DON'T," James said. He was just as brash as ever, but there was an angry glint in his eye.  
  
"And who are you to stop us?" The other boy, Severus, said with a nasty glint in his eyes.  
  
"James Potter, and I'll stop you! Don't say that about Lily!"  
  
Before the boys could come to blows, the boats pulled into the docks. The argument stopped abruptly as they all stared in wonder at the castle in front of them.  
  
Hogwarts, for it had to be Hogwarts, was massive, looming high over their heads. Lily vaguely remembered seeing Buckingham Palace once a few years back, and this building was much larger, more imposing. It was really a medieval castle, with turrets and catwalks and arrow slits, all made from stone. Everyone gaped at it as they climbed onto the dock, and their jaws dropped steadily lower as they approached it.  
  
A woman, a witch, stepped out in front of the first years. She had raven black hair pulled up into a stiff bun, and she wore deep hunter green robes that matched her eyes. Though she was only about forty, her presence commanded respect, and every student was silent when she began to speak.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. You are all here because you have aptitude for the magical arts. For the next seven years, you will study many forms of magic. Hopefully, you will all graduate with some degree of proficiency in each.  
  
"Within a few moments, you will all be taken into the ballroom, where you will be sorted into houses. Each house has certain virtues. Ravenclaws are the most studious, Hufflepuffs are the hardest working, Slytherins are the most cunning, and Gryffindors, my house, are the bravest. Once you are sorted, your educations will begin."  
  
She gathered her robes about her, then spun and ascended the stairs. "First years, follow me." 


	3. The Girls Talk

Lily and Arabella collapsed on their beds. They hadn't even started classes yet, and they were already exhausted! Miracle of all miracles, they were both in Gryffindor, along with all four boys. That knowledge didn't make it any easier to stay awake. Though both girls were eager to talk, they found that their tongues did not appreciate being moved and that their eyelids refused to lift. They hardly even noticed when another girl dragged her luggage into their little room and plopped down on the third bed.  
  
CRASHBOOM! Lily sat straight up in bed. It was raining. She scooted over to look out the window. She touched the cool windowpane with one hand. Big drops of liquid were covering the glass, and puddles littered the ground far below. They didn't call it Gryffindor Tower for nothing; they were at least eight stories up!  
  
Looking at the alarm clock she had brought from home, she saw it was only two-thirty in the morning. It figured that a storm would wake her up right before her first real day of school. Lily lied back down, resolved herself to falling asleep again.  
  
The thunder and lightning seemed to disagree with Lily's purpose, for the next crash was extremely cacaphonous and woke up both Arabella and the new girl. "Hello," she said shyly. "I'm Hazel Weatherby. I would have introduced myself properly when I came in, but you two were both sound asleep by then. I got here late. My grandmother refused to let me take the Hogwarts Express; she's a bit overprotective," Hazel finished with a sigh.  
  
"No big deal. I'm Lily Evans, and this is Arabella Figg." Lily looked at Hazel while she spoke. She was pretty, but in a timid way. She was very short and thin. A delicate pair of glasses covered the eyes that were apparently Hazel's namesake, and her straight hair was a soft tawny color that fell just past her shoulders. Her face was smattered with freckles, and she seemed very quiet.  
  
"You're both first years too, right?" Hazel asked.  
  
"Yeah, we are." Arabella said with a smile. Ara was pretty too, Lily realized. She was more beautiful than pretty though. She had very straight, fine, straw blonde hair down to her waist, and her eyes seemed to change colors with her mood, though they were blue most of the time. Arabella was tall, and more wiry than thin. You could tell she had some muscles in her lithe arms and legs.  
  
"Have you made any friends yet?" Hazel said. She seemed very nervous about coming to Hogwarts.  
  
"Yes, four!" Lily replied with a laugh. "James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. You'll meet them all tomorrow at breakfast. They're very nice, all of them." Well, most of them, Lily amended silently. Peter seemed a bit weasley, and Lily could see already that Sirius had a mean streak. Still, she couldn't tell the girl that before she had even met any of them, could she? Hazel seemed like the type to be timid around boys, even if there was no reason to be.  
  
"So, Hazel," Arabella asked, "are your parents wizards or muggles?"  
  
"Oh, they're both wizards. My dad's parents are muggles, but there's at least one witch a generation on my mum's side. My mum isn't around anymore, though. She died a few years ago. Dad went to live with his family when it happened, so I live with my Grandmum."  
  
"Oh, Hazel, I'm sorry!" Lily and Arabella said at the same time.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I don't miss her too much anymore." An awkward silence hung in the still air while the storm raged outside. "Anyway," Hazel continued, trying to smooth over the conversation, "you don't know any magic yet, do you?"  
  
"No, not that I haven't tried," Lily said, with a little disgust creeping into her voice. She had tried to make something, anything, happen, but to no avail.  
  
"Same here," said Arabella, just as bitterly. "I waved my wand around for hours before I left, and nothing happened."  
  
Hazel yawned loudly then, in perfect time with a flash of lightning. "I'm tired."  
  
"Maybe we should get some sleep," Lily murmered.  
  
Arabella didn't answer, instead falling back into bed and pulling the covers over her head. The other girls did the same. 


	4. The First Day of School

"Get up!" Mundungus Fletcher, a boisterous Gryffindor prefect, yelled raucously. He kicked bedposts and threw blankets as he darted from room to room in Gryffindor Hall. "Come on now, don't make me to do this every day!"  
  
"Lemme lone," muttered Peter as he buried his head in his pillow, only to be beaten severely with it until he rose.  
  
"What IS this?" shouted James loudly enough to slow Mundungus down a little. The burly fifth year turned to James and laughed loudly. "THIS is your first morning as Gryffindors, and there are only fifteen minutes till breakfast! If," he added with a malicious grin and a sweet voice, even as he beat everyone with their own pillows, "you boys are suitably awakened, I'll go get the girls up!"  
  
Groaning and yawning, James, Peter, Sirius, and Remus slowly tumbled out of bed. All four boys had miraculously made it to Gryffindor together, along with Lily and Arabella, whom they met in the common room of Gryffindor Hall before proceeding to breakfast. Between Arabella and Lily walked another girl, whom Lily introduced as Hazel Weatherby.  
  
Schedules were handed out at breakfast. For every smile, there were two groans. The most common comment at the Gryffindor table was, "Double herbology with the Slytherins?!"  
  
Transfiguration (with Ravenclaw) was the first class for the friends, so they went to the classroom. Professor McGonagall eyed them sternly as they sat down, the seven taking their seats in the classroom, shaped like a lecture hall. "This is my class, my chosen magical specialty: Transfiguration." As she spoke, Professor McGonagall slowly shrank, growing orange fur. In moments, she was a tabby cat. There was thundering applause from every child not completely awestruck. She continued to speak, still in the shape of a cat. "Transfiguration is among the most difficult of magics. I doubt that even one person from this class will eventually become an animagus, like myself, simply because there have been only six animagi registered this century, myself included. Few have the determination and interest to pursue this difficult magic to its most rewarding end." Professor McGonagall almost seemed to glow with self pride as she transformed back into a human.  
  
"However, basic transfiguration is both important and practical to learn. This is what I will endeavor to teach you all."  
  
After a simple lecture and a basic demonstration, the students began trying to turn a toothpick into a pin. By the end of the period, only Peter, one Ravenclaw, and two other Gryffindors had changed the appearance of the toothpick at all. Arabella had been the first in the class to do so, in only four tries. She spent the rest of the class helping their little group along, and Lily, James, and Remus had all fully transfigured their toothpicks, while Sirius and Hazel had come extremely close. Sirius's toothpick was made of metal and even pointier at one end, lacking only the hole in the head. Hazel's was just still made out of wood, looking for all the world like a needle otherwise. Arabella had tried to help Peter repeatedly, but to no success. Peter just kept mumbling over and over, "It's my wand," which everyone ignored after both James and Arabella checked his wand for damage and found none.  
  
Their next class was the one they dreaded most: double herbology with the Slytherins, with Professor Seeds. He was a stooped, gangly man, with dark eyes, bushy eyebrows, and a mess of thick green hair pulled back from his face. He looked at all the students, studying each one in turn. Suddenly, he barked out, "What is the medicinal use of foxglove?"  
  
A few students raised their hands. He called on Hazel. "It's to treat a weak heart."  
  
"True, Ms. Weatherby," he replied coldly. As Professor Seeds continued to read the list of questions, an odd look crossed his face. Then he asked, "Who can name a property of wolfsbane?"  
  
"It's poisonous!" shouted one of the Slytherins, Severus Snape, with an impish smile.  
  
"Yes, what else?" replied Mr. Seeds.  
  
No one raised their hands. After a moment, Remus hesitantly called out. "It's used to repel werewolves, isn't it?" Remus seemed somewhat sick. Perhaps he doesn't like speaking in front of people, thought James.  
  
Mr. Seeds nodded slowly. "That's correct, Remus. Who can name two plants muggles haven't identified yet?"  
  
Hazel raised her hand again. "Mugglebane and Starwort."  
  
"Good, good," Mr. Seeds said coolly, rubbing his hands together. "I seem to have a fairly knowledgeable class here, at least in comparison with my last class. No one THERE could identify the uses for wolfsbane." Seeds seemed angry for some reason, thought James as the professor passed out the first assignment, a plant called the higgerfink, which looked strangely like a small animal with a flower for a head, rooted into a sitting up position. "All you have to do is keep it alive for the the period. Groups of four, please. No group of all Slytherins or Gryffindors, either." Seeds was met with groans, which he pointedly ignored.  
  
To make Seeds happy, Sirius and James partnered up with Severus Snape, the boy who had spoken, and one of his friends, Lucius Malfoy. Both were Slytherins. Meanwhile Remus and Peter worked with Arsenius Crabbe and Thomas Goyle. Lily, Arabella, and Hazel wound up in a group with Prudence Nott, a particularly malicious Slytherin girl who seemed bent on making the other three girls miserable.  
  
"So," said Malfoy with a chuckle, "I suppose that Hogwarts has lowered its standards for admissions," staring about the room, his gaze lingering on Lily.  
  
"And what's wrong with the people in here?" asked James coldly, his gaze having followed Malfoy's to his friend.  
  
"When my father went here, there were no mudbloods at all! Not one roamed these halls. Now," Malfoy added with a dangerous smile, "I can't help but tripping over them."  
  
Sirius looked at the two Slytherins coldly, daggers in his eyes. "You make one more comment about my friends, and I'll-!"  
  
He was cut of by Snape, an appraising and angry gleam in his cold eyes. "You'll what, Black? Punch me? Report our comments to a teacher? I fear nothing, no one, especially you. Go ahead, TRY and punch me; run to a big bad teacher. I don't care."  
  
Needless to say, their plant was hanging on by a thread by the end of class. Remus and Peter's group's was little better, but theirs was still moving a little. Of the entire class, only Hazel, Lily, Arabella, and Prudence's plant was still healthy, perhaps because Hazel seemed to know what she was doing, and there was only one Slytherin.  
  
Class ended for lunch, and the seven friends agreed heartily: they did not like Slytherin at all. 


	5. Making the Marauders

The Gryffindor common room was a jumble of activity. The tables in the corner were occupied by students doing homework and cramming for tests, all complaining about the amount of work they had been given only a week and a half into the term. Two sixth years were playing wizard chess, a curious chess game in which the pieces smashed each other when they eliminated them. About a dozen first and second year girls stood, gossiping and talking.  
  
Completely ignored by everyone, four first year boys sat in the corner of the common room, whispering and laughing to themselves. On one end sat Remus. His brown chin-length hair shook every time he laughed, though he was laughing least of the four. Next to him was Peter Pettigrew, his small dark eyes constantly darting about the room. On the other end was black-haired Sirius Black, constantly sniggering. Between Peter and Sirius was James Potter. Any observing the four would think James was the leader, for he seemed to be talking the most, and the other boys clearly respected him.  
  
The door to the girls' dormitory burst open, and Lily, Arabella, and Hazel came running down the stairs, laughing gaily. Lily's red curls bounced as she giggled her way down the steps, almost skipping over to the boys. "So, what are you four doing?"  
  
"Aw, go away, Lily!" grumbled Peter.  
  
"And why should she?" rejoined Arabella with a glint in her eye.  
  
"This is boy stuff! No girls allowed!" Sirius said angrily.  
  
"That's mature," said Hazel quietly.  
  
Sirius opened his mouth to respond, and not in a friendly manner. "Hush!" James hissed to them. "Maybe you girls can come back later, WHEN WE'RE DONE," he finished, in response to the three dirty looks he was getting.  
  
"Alright, James Potter. Have it your way," Lily said coolly, only a hint of arrogance in her voice as the three girls left in a huff.  
  
Only after they had left the room, Remus opened his mouth, his grey eyes thoughtful. "That was rather rude. I'm sure they didn't appreciate that."  
  
"Aw, they're just girls! What do they know about this stuff?" asked Peter.  
  
"Much more than you think," replied James, his eyes trailing the door they had gone through.  
  
"Back to business!" exclaimed Sirius. "We have to get this done. Now, if we wanna have a club, we need a name!"  
  
Remus added, "The name should have something to do with what our club is about."  
  
"What IS our club about?" asked Peter.  
  
Sirius smiled. "We should be an assassins' club."  
  
"Nah, too violent," replied James, silencing Sirius's argument with just a look. "Let's be something we really are in our club."  
  
Remus just looked at him. "Well, what are we?"  
  
"Well," thought James aloud, "we're funny, and smart, and good wizards, and," he added, struck with sudden inspiration, "we play jokes on everyone!"  
  
"Yeah! We can be a pranksters' club!" said Sirius with glee. "I like that!"  
  
"Well?" said Remus.  
  
The other boys looked at him. "Well what?"  
  
"Well, what's our name?"  
  
"How about 'The Assassins'?" suggested Sirius. The others just shook their heads.  
  
"What about something with our names? If we put the letters together and pull a word out of it?" James wondered.  
  
"Yeah!" said Peter. I like that."  
  
"Well, what can we spell?" thought Remus.  
  
"A lot of things, probably. We should pick a name that's dangerous- sounding, though." Sirius said.  
  
"We need middle initials too!" someone suggested. James had an F, Sirius a T, Remus a D, and Peter an S.  
  
The boys sat down and brainstormed for over an hour. "What about 'Spinach'? No, no 'H'." "Hmm, 'Puke' works. One letter from each of us." The ideas kept coming, but none were especially appealing, until:  
  
"I've got it! I've got it!" Remus practically shouted. "Marauders! We can spell 'Marauders' with the letters in our name!"  
  
"Marauders?" Peter asked. "What are they?"  
  
"It's people who invade, make all sorts of trouble."  
  
"Ooh, I like it!" laughed Sirius.  
  
"Any disagreements?" asked James. No one spoke. "Then I hereby dub this club 'The Marauders'!" 


	6. Remus's Secret

James and Sirius crept through the hallway quietly, snickering the whole way. "Where?" Sirius whispered wickedly, one hand in the pocket of his robes.  
  
"Outside of Binns's room. He won't be able to smell it, and no one has his class for another half hour, so we can get away in time," replied James, grinning just as broadly as his friend.  
  
The two chuckled silently to themselves, amused with their little prank in the making. They reached the door to Professor Binns's room. James was the smaller of the two, so it was his job to see if Binns was in the classroom. He poked his head halfway into the room. The ghost was there, his back to them. James pivoted, grinned, and gave Sirius the thumbs up.  
  
Sirius grinned back, then pulled a small black ball out of his pocket. Holding it carefully in both hands, he pushed the little knob on one side. It opened slowly, silently. Sirius reverently pushed the button on the inside, then placed it between the open door and the wall. Both held their breaths, plugged their noses, and went into a run. "Hello? Is anyone there?" a whispery voice called behind them, from the classroom, but they were already out of sight.  
  
The corridor curved sharply, right and left. Sirius stood on the left side. Only eleven years old, and he already looked tough in James's eyes. Sirius was already taller than his best friend by four inches, and he probably made a James-and-a-half in weight. He was a little on the stocky side, but it was really muscle, not fat. His short spiky black hair and dark, laughing eyes made his sarcastic, macabre humor apparent.  
  
On the right side was James. He was fairly short, very skinny. No matter how small he seemed, James was wiry and fast. He had a quick mind as well, and unruly hair black that refused to stay where it was told. It was clear he was confident, cocky, just by the way he carried himself. If Sirius was tough, James was brave, and the two made an inseparable and dangerous team.  
  
The two friends nodded swiftly, giving each other a quick thumbs up and wink for good luck before running as fast as they could in opposite directions. Sirius was going to head for Professor McGonagall's classroom to ask for help on his live transfigurations, because he really did need the help. James was going to Gryffindor Hall to study in his room. If all went according to plan, no one would be able to pin the dungbomb on them.  
  
James was cackling like a fiend by the time he reached the Fat Lady. "Smuggle Mirf," he said, unable to stop grinning. The Fat Lady just shook her two-dimensional head as the portrait hole swung open. James entered the common room and headed straight for his communal bedroom, where intended to start his homework.  
  
Much to his surprise, the door was already a sliver open when James got there. He froze outside the door. What if something in the plan had gone awry? Then he heard the sniveling.  
  
It wasn't exactly crying. It was more like a moan of pain. James looked through the crack, and it was Remus! "Oh no! Remus, are you okay?" James rushed to his friend.  
  
"I'm- fine," Remus stuttered. He was shaking.  
  
James shook his head. "No you are NOT fine, and we are taking you to see Madame Pomfrey." All four of the Marauders knew Madame Pomfrey rather well, as she had mended at least one broken bone apiece. James grabbed his arm.  
  
"No!" Remus cried. "Don't touch me, James. It isn't safe. Please, just run. Go get a teacher, any teacher, Dumbledore even. Tell them, tell them my illness is coming on. They'll know what to do." As James started out the door, Remus added, "Hurry, James. And lock the door!"  
  
James did as he was told, running like mad out of Gryffindor Tower. Fortunately, the first teacher he bumped into was Professor McGonagall, walking with Sirius.  
  
"Professor!" James gasped, rather out of breath. Sirius looked at him rather oddly.  
  
"What is it, James?" Professor McGonagall asked him. "If this is another silly stunt of yours gone wrong, then I'll-,"  
  
James just shook his head. "No, Professor. It's Remus!"  
  
Her eyes lit up nervously. "Is he all right?"  
  
"He said something about an illness, told me to get a teacher," James said.  
  
"Dear God!" Professor McGonagall said with a dull gasp. She thought for a moment before whirling into action. "Boys, I need you to get me Dumbledore right away. Time is short. Afterwards, go straight to my room. DO NOT return to Gryffindor Tower, DO NOT go to the Madame Pomfrey's office, just STAY THERE!" With that, the Gryffindor headmaster spun on her heel and practically flew off.  
  
"James, what happened to Remus?" Sirius asked, clearly worried about his friend. For all of Sirius's malicious behavior, he was very protective of all of his friends.  
  
"I don't know. He was shaking badly, and sort of moaning in pain. He told me to go get a teacher, so I ran."  
  
"We have to go do what McGonagall told us to," Sirius said, so the two boys took off at a run. "Let's find Dumbledore first."  
  
After nearly tripping over a few "accidents" left for them by Peeves, the two made it to Dumbledore's office. "Professor Dumbledore," they called, stumbling into his room while simultaneously trying to break their run and not crash headlong into Dumbledore's desk.  
  
"Yes, James, Sirius?" the headmaster replied, his eyes peering at them over half-moon spectacles.  
  
"It's Remus, Sir. Professor McGonagall told us to fetch you. He's in Gryffindor Tower, in our room."  
  
Dumbledore practically launched himself out of his chair, ran to the fireplace, and pulled a few grains of sand out of a belt pouch. He tossed them into the flames, shouting, "Poppy? Quentin? Come immediately." Suddenly, both Madame Pomfrey and Professor Trimble stepped out of the fireplace. Why Professor Trimble, James wondered. Trimble was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "It's Remus Lupin," Dumbledore said shortly, and the three left at a near run for Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"Well, I suppose we should go to Professor McGonagall's room now," James said with a sigh.  
  
"Shouldn't we follow them?" Sirius asked with a slight smile.  
  
"You know, Sirius," James said with the same grin, "there's a time and place for everything."  
  
Sirius just shook his head as the two made their way to McGonagall's office. "And you call yourself a Marauder."  
  
After about a half hour of sitting in the professor's office, a very distraught McGonagall walked in. Her normally neat bun was not quite as orderly as it usually was, and there were small tears at the bottom of her robe. Neither boy commented on either.  
  
After slumping into her chair, McGonagall just looked at James and Sirius. "Well, at least you two followed directions when it counted," she muttered under her breath."  
  
The two just looked at her for a moment anxiously. Finally, James spoke, "Professor, is Remus okay?"  
  
"Yes, he's fine. He has a recurring illness, rather serious if it is not attended to immediately, but fairly harmless otherwise. We got to him in time, everything is fine now."  
  
"What illness-?" Sirius started to ask.  
  
Professor McGonagall just looked at them both and said, "It is all right for you both to return to Gryffindor Tower now. Remus will be back with you in a few days."  
  
"May we at least visit him?" asked James tentatively.  
  
McGonagall shook her head. "No, James. I will see you both in class tomorrow," she replied, effectively ending the conversation. Sirius and James turned and headed back to Gryffindor Tower, both immensely worried about their friend.  
  
They gave the Fat Lady the password, climbed through the portrait hole, and James slumped down into a chair in the common room. James did not want to go back into their room just yet, and Sirius did not ask him any questions. Instead, he flopped down beside his friend.  
  
Within moments, they were joined by Lily, Arabella, Hazel, and Peter. All three girls had been tutoring Peter, who was quite behind in his studies. Seeing James and Sirius looking dejected, they quickly joined them.  
  
"What happened?" asked Lily. "Where's Remus?"  
  
It only took about a minute and a half for the boys to tell their story. All six friends sat in shocked silence. "Recurring?" Arabella asked when they had finished. "He gets this all the time?"  
  
Hazel sighed. "I can't imagine, all the pain he must go through. To cry like that, when he's used to it..." she murmured with a shudder. Lily just patted Hazel's hand from her seat between Ara and James.  
  
"But he'll be okay soon, right?" asked Peter.  
  
Sirius looked at the ground, trying to hide his concern. "McGonagall said he would be back in a few days."  
  
Over the next two days the friends were a bit more subdued, but they passed without any event of note otherwise.  
  
When Remus finally walked back into the common room on the third day after his illness struck, he was virtually attacked by six people, all asking him how he was. The normally reserved Remus was even quieter than normal, when replying, "I'm fine. Don't worry about it," to every question they asked him.  
  
Eventually, they all settled back down. James sat beside Remus. "Are you sure you're all right?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Remus said with his shy smile, a tad embarrassed.  
  
"Professor McGonagall wouldn't tell us what was wrong with you," James added.  
  
Remus suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights. James only knew because his muggle father insisted they own a normal car, which had accidentally hit a deer a few years back. Remus had the same frightened, tense look that deer had had in his normally friendly grey eyes. "Oh, don't worry about it. Just a little sickness I've had since childhood. No reason to worry!" He finished this tirade in one breath and with a nervous laugh. This said, he quickly excused himself to bed, leaving James to wonder. 


	7. Quidditch Try-Outs

It was a crisp, clear September morning, two weeks into the friends' second year. Never before in his life had James Potter been more nervous. It was the day of quidditch tryouts for Gryffindor house, and James and Sirius were both trying out. They talked nervously throughout breakfast that Saturday, wondering how they would do.  
  
After a meal that lasted forever, Tobias Stone finally stood up, heading for the field. He was a sixth year, the keeper and Gryffindor quidditch captain. He would make the final decision on who would be on the team. Three people travelled with him, his two remaining chasers and the sole beater. Last year's graduation had hit Gryffindor hard; they were missing their seeker, a beater, and a chaser. Those positions needed to be filled. Immediately, about half the second year Gryffindors pushed in their chairs and followed, including Sirius and James.  
  
Arabella got up to go with them. "What are you doing?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Trying out for quidditch," Ara said with a little haughty laugh.  
  
The field was beautiful, James thought distantly. Though he had heard much about quidditch, even seen a few games, this was the first time he had ever stepped on the field. The grass was beautiful, like it had never been touched. It probably never had, amended James with a silent chuckle; the game was played on broomsticks high above the ground. On each end of the field were three rings, each about two feet in diameter. These were the goals. The only other feature of the field was the stands, nothing particularly exciting.  
  
Stone looked over the dozen second years gathered before him. "Welcome to tryouts for Gryffindor house quidditch. For those who don't know, here are the basics of the game.  
  
"Quidditch is played with two teams of seven, four balls, and six goals. On each team, there is one keeper, three chasers, two beaters, and one seeker. The keeper, me, is goalie. Anything that gets into those three hoops up there has to get by me to do it. The three chasers, Corann Marunk, Elijah Thompson, and one of you, take the quaffle and score with it, through the goals. Each goal is worth ten points. The two beaters, Mundungus Fletcher and another one of you, keep the two bludgers from hurting the chasers or the seeker. The seeker, whom we need, is the last player, and perhaps the most important. The seeker must catch the golden snitch. The capture of the snitch ends the game and gives that seeker's team 150 points. Catching the snitch usually spells victory for that team."  
  
"How are we picking them?" Mundungus Fletcher asked. The burly sixth year beater was also a Gryffindor prefect.  
  
"Same as last year," Stone replied. "We see how they fly. How many of you have flown before?" About half of the students raised their hands, including Sirius and Arabella. "Okay, here's how you do it. Stand next to a broom, like this." Stone stood with the broom at his feet on his right side. "Then just say, 'Up, broom!'." As he gave the command, the broom flew straight up into his hand. The other three members of the house team followed his lead. All held their hovering brooms at waist height. "All of you, do it now!"  
  
A dozen people said at once "Up, Broom!" with varying degrees of success. The broom flew straight into James's hand, Sirius and Arabella got theirs perfectly too. A few others had success as well, but most of the brooms flopped about a foot into the air and then fell, or did not move at all.  
  
"Once you have gotten your broom to respond, you mount it like this." Stone threw one leg over the broom and sat on it. "The broom goes in whatever direction you point the front to, and you control the speed as well. When you have mounted your broom, kick off, rise about ten feet into the air, and come back down." Stone demonstrated once, in perfect sync with the rest of his team. "Do that now."  
  
James was the first off the ground, with Arabella half a second behind. Sirius was right after the two of them. James, with his thin, wiry build, was the fastest of the three, but the bigger and stronger Sirius had a better push off and went higher, about twelve feet to James's ten. Arabella, however, had the best control, flying and landing smoothly. Eventually everyone got off the ground, doing a more or less adequate job.  
  
"I think you have all gotten the hang of this. Now we test for speed. All you have to do is get from one goal post to the other." Stone chucked Mundungus Fletcher a stopwatch. "Fletch, go there now, I need you to know the order they come in." Fletcher flew there, a strong kick off hurtling him to the goalpost. He tagged it with a grin, then gave a thumbs up. "Line up left to right on the ground, then rise straight up to about even with the goals. On the count of three, go as fast as you can to the opposite goal."  
  
They all rose, nervously, watching each other. Who would win? "On three," Stone called. "One, two, three!"  
  
They were off! James was flying the fastest. He got there in under thirty seconds, with Arabella close enough to touch him the entire way, and Sirius on her heels. Everyone else was fairly close, but not close enough. It was clear the order the first three came in.  
  
Sirius shot Arabella a dirty look as Fletcher ordered them back down. "How'd you beat me?" He asked her.  
  
With a laugh and a toss of her long blonde hair, she looked over her shoulder and said, "I flew, Sirius Black. I flew!"  
  
"Stupid git," James heard Sirius mutter as Stone and the others flew over to meet them.  
  
James just shook his head and grinned at his best friend. "Aw, come on Sirius. She beat you in one race, that's all. Nothing to be ashamed of if you get whipped BY A GIRL!" It was a good thing they were both still astride brooms; it gave James more liberty to dodge punches than he normally had around Sirius.  
  
"Now," Stone said, "it's time to see if you can throw and catch without the ground under your feet. Each of you will go in turn with one of us, tossing the quaffle. We'll see how you do." The quaffle didn't look easy to throw. It seemed to be a hollow rounded wooden box, painted red. It was about a foot in diameter.  
  
That test passed very quickly. Sirius nearly knocked Stone off his broom because he threw the quaffle too hard, but he missed one or two throws. James caught very well, he didn't miss a single one, but his throws were not especially good. Of everyone, only Arabella seemed especially good at handling the quaffle. She made it look easy, catching and throwing it with an amazing dexterity. Everyone else did well, more or less, with the activity.  
  
"Wait here," Stone told them while he went off with his team. The four talked quietly amongst themselves, occasionally arguing in whispers or pointing at various students. Finally, the four came back. "Alright, I'm going to break you all into groups based on what what position you are most likely to be good at. Then, we work with you on those skills."  
  
Stone began moving among them, breaking the students up into groups. About half were put into the chaser group, while the rest seemed to be split fairly evenly between beaters and seekers. Sirius got into the beater group, Arabella went with the hopeful chasers, while James was with the potential seekers, along with Larren Bitterwater and Marrett Hingerfent.  
  
"Alright," Stone said, silencing the mild chattering going on. "Since we have no seeker to work with all of you, I am going to work with the seekers. Fletch, the beaters are yours, and Marunk and Thompson, you take the chasers. Work one or two at a time, run 'em through the ropes." He finished quietly to the seekers, "Come with me."  
  
"Now, I don't want to risk losing the snitch, so we're going to work with these." He pulled out a sack of golf balls, about half painted with glow-in-the-dark material, the rest bright orange. He picked up the orange ones. "I can find these easily if you miss, but the glow-in-the-dark serve the same purpose at night. Now, you'll go one at a time, catching the balls as I throw them." Stone looked over the three students he had in front of him. "Potter, you go first. Get up about thirty feet, then catch 'em as I throw 'em. I won't aim for you, so you'll have to fly after 'em."  
  
James nodded resolutely, ignoring the hinkypunks in his stomach. He rose up in the air. "Ready!" Stone threw the balls, one by one. Each one in a random direction. High to the left, low to right, high to the right, low to the right again, straight up, a couple yards in front of Stone, twenty feet behind him, a little to his left and well above his head, low to the left, they just kept coming! James didn't miss one though.  
  
After about fifteen minutes, Stone finally signalled James down. "Hingerfent, you're next!"  
  
James felt too nauseous to watch the other two go. He sat with his knees pulled up to his chin and waited. Larren went as well. When he was done, Stone said, "Alright, you can go," but he tapped James on the shoulder before he could leave. "Potter, you stay here," he whispered confidentially. James nodded to Stone and sat back down. Why did he have to stay? Was it between Larren and Marrett and Stone didn't want him to feel bad?  
  
After a minute, Sirius walked over and sat down next to his best friend. "Fletcher told me to stay behind too." Arabella joined them almost immediately, sitting down in front of them both.  
  
After a minute, all four members of the team walked over. Stone was smiling. "Welcome to Gryffindor House Quidditch!"  
  
James, Sirius, and Ara just looked at Stone for a moment, then they all began to grin at the same time. "We did it. We all did it," Arabella murmered. James smiled, Sirius laughed. They did it. 


	8. Discovery

Remus shivered as he pushed open the door to the bedroom he shared with his three best friends. Finally, the full moon was over. Looking at his arm, he sighed nervously. There were scratch marks on his forearms, like there always were during the waning moon. He fervently hoped that his friends would not see.  
  
They were waiting in their room, like they always were the day he got back. "So, how's your mother?" James asked with a friendly smile.  
  
Almost retching with disgust that he had to lie to his best friends, Remus put on an unconvincing half-smile. "She's doing better. The doctors say she could get sick again soon, but she looked fine this visit." That's what he always told them. That his mother was sick.  
  
***  
  
"James, you don't buy that excuse of Remus's, do you?" Sirius whispered. They were in the library, and there was no one around, but the three were still afraid to be overheard.  
  
James just sighed and shook his head. "I don't know why he won't tell us what it is."  
  
Peter frowned. "Maybe HE'S the one who's sick."  
  
"Maybe," James replied. "Or maybe he is in some kind of trouble."  
  
Sirius looked at his two friends. "Now, how do we get him to tell us? Hmm, what if we just told him we don't believe that story about his mother?"  
  
"Sirius, that's way too obvious!" James whispered harshly. Seeing the dejected look on his best friend's face, he laughed. "It's so obvious that it just might work!"  
  
***  
  
Remus was sitting alone, studying in the common room. The three boys approached him silently, almost like they were stalking prey. This caused Remus to look up immediately, spoiling the surprise.  
  
"So, Remus, what are you doing?" Peter asked, trying to look innocent. Unfortunately, Peter looked anything BUT, with his beady dark eyes and constant laughing.  
  
Remus put his gaze back to his book. "Oh, just studying. History, of course. I hate history," he finished in a whispered grumble as he went back to the book. He had just missed three days and he did not want to be behind.  
  
"How's your mum?" James asked. Fortunately, James was a better actor than Peter, and he looked truly concerned.  
  
"Oh, she's doing much better. She looked fine when I was there," Remus replied, trying to look casual. Of course, James noticed that Remus was gripping the book tightly enough for his knuckles to turn white.  
  
Finally, Sirius broke in impatiently. "Remus, what's really going on? None of us really believe that story about your mum being sick."  
  
Remus just hung his head, then snapped his book shut. Without warning, he ran up the stairs to the boys dormitory, the book tucked under his arm. James thought he saw a tear in his friend's eye before the dormitory door slammed shut, stunning everyone in Gryffindor.  
  
"Oh great," Sirius whispered. "That was my fault, wasn't it?"  
  
James just nodded dully. This wasn't going at all like they had hoped. Now what?  
  
***  
  
James was taking a nap in the dormitory, a few days after the unfortunate incident with Remus. Their friend had been avoiding all three of them ever since, and all four Marauders were extremely nervous as a result.  
  
Suddenly, he was jolted awake. "Whadisid?" he mumbled, or something sounding vaguely similar.  
  
"James, you numbskull, get up!" Sirius whispered urgently, roughly shaking his best friend.  
  
"God, can't a guy get any sleep around here?"  
  
Sirius just sighed impatiently. "I figured it out, James! I finally figured it out!"  
  
"What, Sirius? This had better be good..." James grumbled, sitting up and putting on his glasses. What he saw disturbed him. His best friend looked terrible, haunted, scared. Sirius's hair was messy, his lips were pursed, his face was pale. Even his eyes were not laughing like they usually were; instead, they were dark with worry.  
  
"It's Remus, James."  
  
James blinked. "What about Remus? Is he okay?"  
  
Sirius laughed dryly. "Yeah, I suppose. At least, until next Tuesday."  
  
"What's so special about Tuesday?"  
  
Sirius just looked at James, said in a whisper. "Tuesday is the first day of the full moon."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" James asked, utterly confused. Then it hit him. "NO! Sirius, that can't be! You woke me up to make up stories? I'm going back to bed." With that, James started to lie back down.  
  
Unfortunately, his best friend was not only bigger, but stronger. He pulled James to a sitting position, and held his shoulders, looking James in the eye. "Every 'visit to his mother' has been on a full moon. Have you noticed that?"  
  
James shook his head, clearly doubting Sirius's suggestion.  
  
Sirius sighed. "I know, coincidence, right? I thought of that too. So I did a little bit of research on werewolves. It's funny what the DADA book has in it. Ever noticed that Remus hates fire, almost always refuses to make it in class, even when it's the subject of the lesson? Well, fire kills werewolves."  
  
"I dunno, Sirius. Still rather far-fetched."  
  
Sirius laughed shakily. "Did you ever see Remus try amazingly hard not to go near the suits of armor in the hallways? Well, those are made of solid silver. I asked Remus once why he went out of his way to avoid the things, and he said he was allergic to silver. Guess what else kills werewolves?"  
  
James was about to interrupt, but Sirius continued, "And then there's all the stuff he's known in DADA that no one else has. About wolfsbane, for example. Most kids didn't know there WAS a plant called wolfsbane, and he knew all its properties. Remus, a kid who is getting average marks. How does that work?"  
  
"Well, maybe his mum has it, not him. Maybe Remus isn't lying at all," James countered.  
  
"Hmm," Sirius thought. "I had considered that too. Except that Remus leaves a lot of his stuff here when he leaves. Wouldn't he bring a textbook or two to catch up on the lessons he was missing, or even just a pair of pajamas?"  
  
"I'm sure he has another pair at home," James replied.  
  
Sirius just shook his head. "Well, don't you normally bring things like this," he added, holding up a bag with a hairbrush, toothbrush, and other toiletries, "when you go on a trip? It seems like it's ready to go with him on his three day excursions, but he never brings it with him. How does that work, James?"  
  
"Fine, I'm convinced. We'll talk with Remus about it later."  
  
***  
  
The three again cornered Remus, this time in the boys' communal bedroom. "So, Remus, how are you doing?" Peter asked hesitantly.  
  
Remus did not even bother to look up from his books. "Fine, thanks," he said shortly, continuing to read.  
  
"So, ah, when's the full moon again, Sirius?" James asked. "I need to know for Divination."  
  
Sirius smiled. "Oh, this Tuesday through thursday."  
  
"It's this week?" Remus asked, a note of panic in his voice. Sirius nodded. "Um, I have to go take care of something, guys." Then, Remus stopped in his tracks. "Wait, no! It's next Tuesday!" He sat back down, went back to his reading.  
  
All three friends exchanged glances. It looked like Sirius was right. "Is he a werewolf?" Peter whispered, quietly as he could, so Remus wouldn't hear.  
  
Remus said, "Lycanthropy."  
  
"God bless you!" Peter replied.  
  
"I didn't sneeze," Remus replied with a sigh. "Lycanthropy is the technical term. It tends to give you sharper hearing. Don't bother whispering." Still, he was reading.  
  
"So, are you?" Sirius asked.  
  
Remus nodded, quietly muttering, "I was wondering when you would find out."  
  
"Who knows about it?" James asked.  
  
Remus still refused to meet their gazes. "Just the teachers, my family...you."  
  
"What about the girls?" Peter added.  
  
Remus sighed, added sarcastically, "I have a feeling they'll know by this time tomorrow."  
  
"We won't tell if you don't want us to, you know that." Sirius said. For once, the humor was out of his dark eyes.  
  
Remus shook his head. "Go ahead, tell them. Worse comes to worse, I'll be alone again. I don't mind. I have been by myself for long enough, it won't bother me to be lonely."  
  
James was flabbergasted. "Are you kidding? Why would you be alone? We're here!"  
  
"You mean that?" Remus whispered, his bottom jaw drooping several inches below his upper one, his soft grey eyes pleading.  
  
Peter just looked at him. "Of course we do. Why wouldn't we?"  
  
"Because I'm a monster, a beast, a killer. I'm a werewolf!" Remus said harshly, filled with self loathing.  
  
"No you are NOT!" Sirius practically shouted. "You're one of us, a Marauder! "Friends don't ditch friends, not now, not ever!" Peter added. "Honestly, Remus, you should know that already."  
  
"Yeah, Moony," James said with a grin. "Friends forever, you know that." Sirius and Peter kept looking back and forth, from James to Remus. James had called him Moony! Was Remus offended?  
  
After a second, Remus smiled, and the other boys sighed in relief. "You guys need nicknames too."  
  
"What'll we nickname ourselves after?" Peter asked.  
  
James looked at his three best friends. "What if we name ourselves after animals, animals that we'd like to change into, maybe?"  
  
"What, as animagi?" Sirius asked. They had learned about animagi from Professor McGonagall, wizards capable of turning into a certain animal at will. McGonagall herself was an animagus, a tabby cat.  
  
Remus looked at them. "So you want to become animagi?"  
  
"Why not?" Sirius asked. "Then we could all be animals together."  
  
"Yeah," Peter said slowly. "What animals should we be?"  
  
James put his chin in his hand, obviously as deep in thought as a twelve-year-old could be. "I want to be a stag. They're really amazing creatures, handsome too."  
  
"A big dog," Sirius said with a little smile. "Dogs go everywhere, so humans don't notice them." It was clear that the potential for marauding was too great already.  
  
Peter looked at all three of his friends. "You three all become big animals. We need a small one too. What about, say, a rat?"  
  
"A rat?" Sirius gawked.  
  
Peter nodded with a smile. "Well, no one at Hogwarts is allowed a pet dog or stag or wolf, but even first years can have rats."  
  
All four boys nodded. "We just need names now, something about our animal," James mused aloud. "I think my name is going to be Prongs, for my antlers."  
  
Sirius grinned wickedly. "Something quiet, stealthy. How about Padfoot?" They all nodded. It suited him.  
  
"And I'll be Wormtail," Peter finished. All four boys were smiling, Remus the most of all. He had expected his friends to abandon him; instead, they wanted to help him. For the first time in quite a while, Remus felt truly happy and safe. 


	9. Soap Suds

"And so the fourth goblin wars of 1272 ended with the treaty of Gulpfungerspawn, leading to ..." Professor Binn's voice droned on and on. The history teacher had been dead for about a decade now, which didn't seem to liven his technique any. All twenty-two third year Gryffindors had history with the Slytherins, which led to a fairly amusing class. Lily sat in the second row from the back, between Arabella and Hazel, right in front of Peter, James, Sirius, and Remus. It wasn't the safest place to be during a class as boring as Binns's, but Lily didn't mind. The Marauders always made it exciting somehow. But in a class of witches and wizards, spitballs and paper airplanes were the least of everyones' worries.  
  
Peter leaned over to James. "So, what's the plan?" The Marauders were about carry out a minor prank. A little trick, one that they had used before. Still, it never failed to get laughs.  
  
James just looked past Remus at Sirius and grinned. Sirius winked back, the fiendish smile making Peter have to work trying not to laugh with glee.  
  
Even serious, studious Remus looked more impish as James whispered, "On the count of three." They held up their wands under their desks, still faking concentration on their studies when Binns looked their way, "One, two, three!"  
  
Little sparks flew out of four wands, and Severus Snape, who sat directly in front of Lily, remained oblivious to it all. It took ten minutes of the Gryffindors giggling for him to notice that something was awry. Little did Severus know that his entire head was covered with an illusion of soap suds. It had been a long standing Gryffindor joke that Severus never seemed to wash his hair.  
  
The glamour faded before Snape could check a mirror to see why everyone was laughing, but Lucius Malfoy told him what had happened, eventually. The two seemed to be good friends on the surface, but they were both using each other for something and everyone knew it.  
  
Severus coldly watched the group as they walked out the door together. They were laughing and joking, all of them. He would make them pay, someday. 


	10. The Dangers of Boredom

All seven fourth-year friends were sitting in their own corner of the Gryffindor common room. Lily was trying to aid a desperate Peter with his homework, while Hazel and Remus studied together, all four at the same table. James and Sirius were sitting on the floor playing exploding snaps. Meanwhile, Arabella was reading, curled up comfortably in one of the big armchairs scattered around the room.  
  
"I am SO bored," James finally mumbled with a sigh. He and Sirius had been playing exploding snaps for about an hour, and wizard chess for about an hour and a half before that.  
  
"So, Ara," Sirius asked, "whatcha reading?"  
  
Arabella just glanced at him wickedly, "a novel."  
  
"Oh. About what?" said James.  
  
Arabella just glared at him. "Nothing, really."  
  
It sounded suspicious to Sirius, who immediately whirled around to where Arabella was sitting, deftly snatched the paperback out of her hands, and quickly ran a few paces away from the furious witch. "Well, let's see what nothing means. 'Jonathan grabbed Mary in his strong arms, pressed her close. She could smell his cologne as his lips brushed her neck…'? What is this, Ara? Are we reading ROMANCE novels?" James, Remus, and Peter all sniggered merrily, while Lily and Hazel seemed mortified.  
  
For the first time Sirius could remember, a blush rose on the pale girl's face. "Give that back right now, Sirius Black!" The tone of her voice somehow subdued him, and Sirius handed the novel back immediately.  
  
A somewhat quieter Sirius and a much more amused James went back to playing exploding snaps, while Lily smacked Peter into paying attention to his homework. Hazel and Remus, obviously the most thoughtful of the bunch, quietly went back to studying together. Coldly, as though nothing had ever happened, Arabella went back to reading, curled up somewhat more tightly in the armchair.  
  
Peter gave up for the fourth time that hour, his chubby face scrunched as he laid his head down on the textbook. No sooner had his forehead contacted parchment than Lily hit him, probably for the fifth or sixth time that hour. "How do you expect me to help you if you won't even try in the slightest?" Peter shrugged, put his head back down. Lily's fist clenched. James remembered that motion well. The last time she had clenched her fists, James had wound up with a bruised arm for a week, she had hit him so hard. "Fine, Peter! You know what? You want to give up? Well, so do I. I give up! Get this homework done on your own, if it suits you!" With that, the red head stood gracefully, her green eyes flashing. She practically ran to the girls dormitory, leaving everyone dumbfounded. Lily had a temper, but she was usually fairly patient, especially about school stuff. Just when Hazel was about to go see if she was okay, Lily returned, a book of her own in her hands. With a wry grin and a wink at Arabella, then a glare at Sirius, daring him to try and take HER book, Lily grabbed her own armchair and pulled it over.  
  
Peter seemed a little edgy as he put away his books, then he sighed again. "There is nothing to DO here!"  
  
Hazel replied, without really paying attention or looking up. "I'm sure there's SOMETHING to do here. Or," she added, half looked up, peering at Peter over her glasses, "how about your homework?"  
  
Lily and Arabella both laughed as Hazel spoke, while Peter's round, freckled face blushed. "I mean something non-academic!"  
  
"He's right," Remus said with a sigh. "I think I know about all four hundred goblin wars in more detail than the goblins did." He shut his book, and the covers connected with a surprisingly loud thud.  
  
"Well, what should we do?" asked James.  
  
Sirius said, "We need to do something exciting. A game. Truth or Dare?"  
  
Even the suggestion of it brought laughter. "Count me out on that!" Remus replied. "Last time the Marauders played, well, you remember," he finished, his voice trailing off. All seven were chuckling, remembering the detentions the four boys had earned last year for THAT stunt. Apparently bungee jumping off the higher towers was prohibited in the rulebook somewhere, though none of them knew quite where. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall did not think that the lack of a rule about the matter made it any less of a violation.  
  
"Okay," said Lily. "Something a little safer, worth a few less points. Minimal danger, hmm. Something co-ed. How about the ever popular Spin-the-Bottle?"  
  
The four boys looked up eagerly at once. All three girls were pretty, leaving them at minimal risk. The girls did not seem to mind either, though not one of them was especially looking forward to winding up with Peter.  
  
"Now, some conditions." Arabella added with a grin. "First off, the bottle can't be magicked. It has to be a normal bottle. Second off, the kiss has to be on the lips. No getting out of that. Tongue is, of course, purely optional," she continued with a malicious grin. "No requirements on kiss duration, though. Third off, the only people in the kissing circle have to be the opposite gender of the spinner. Fourth, if the bottle lands directly between two people, the spinner decides which gets lucky. I think that's all the rules."  
  
"Where's the bottle?" asked Sirius eagerly.  
  
"I'll go get one," said Remus. A minute later, he returned, a glass bottle in his hand.  
  
"Lily, check it for magic."  
  
Lily nodded once and took out her wand, saying, "It'll glow blue if it is enchanted." She pointed her wand at the bottle and whispered, "Sorcerus Detecto," and noting happened. The bottle did not glow. "It's clean," she said with a slight smile. This would be fun. "Who goes first?"  
  
"I will," Arabella volunteered. Her long blonde hair, pale skin, and currently amber eyes made her beautiful. The boys gathered in a tight circle. She reached out a slender hand and turned the bottle, then flipped it the other way, setting it to spin. The bottle spun quickly at first, gradually losing speed. Finally it slowed to a stop, its opening pointed at Peter.  
  
Peter was not exactly a girl's first choice. He was short, chubby, with freckles and zits galore. He had short, dark, curly hair that didn't flatter his face at all. Even in personality, he was not someone any of the girls were especially fond of. He was often rude, rarely especially nice to any of the girls, but he almost revered his three best friends. He looked up to them for all of his moral guidance. In return, James, Sirius, and Remus were good friends with him, being much better friends with him than most would.  
  
Arabella grinned dangerously at the bottle's chosen. If Lily and Hazel hadn't known better, they would really have thought Ara liked Peter. She sat behind him, smiling, then turned his face to meet hers. They kissed for a few seconds, Peter seeming nervous, Arabella enjoying it. "Not bad," she whispered to him when they broke apart, leaving everyone giggling.  
  
"My turn," Remus replied. The girls took the boys' places, sitting together with nervous smiles. Remus was cute, with his soft chin-length brown hair and sensitive grey eyes. None of the girls would have minded getting a kiss from him, they thought as they sat together. He spun the bottle, it whipping around several times before landing on Hazel. Lily couldn't help thinking what a cute couple they made, both a little nervous and very shy. They had a soft, friendly kiss that lasted only a second. Both seemed to want it to last longer, though they broke apart at the same time.  
  
The boys got back into their seats in a circle. "I might as well go," Lily said. She gently rested her hand on the bottle, closed her eyes once for courage, and spun the bottle. Lily could hear it, making an odd sound on the hardwood floor. It went around and around and around, finally slowing to a stop. Only when it stopped spinning did Lily open her eyes. James was grinning broadly at her, the bottle's neck facing him.  
  
Oh geez, Lily thought. Jamie was the handsomest of the four, at least in her opinion. Ara preferred Sirius, and Lily suspected that Hazel had a crush on Remus, but James was the cutest in her eyes. She loved his hair, raven black and always completely out of control. He had grown like a weed, nearly Sirius's height instead of half a head shorter, and Sirius had been growing too. Playing quidditch had given him lean, wiry muscles, and Lily knew he was strong. All the boys occasionally wrestled out on the lawns, and very rarely did James lose. His warm brown eyes were very happy as she moved towards him.  
  
I can't believe my luck, James thought to himself. She was so beautiful. Both Arabella and Hazel had their charms, but Lily was truly beautiful. Her red curls jounced lightly as she moved towards him, her emerald eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at him. Even at eleven, she had been pretty, almost regal looking. He could still remember seeing her at Kings Cross Station, four years ago. A few years had done much for her. She was a little taller, much thinner, with just a little curve. Her hair had shifted slightly, becoming more and more auburn, but her eyes were still the same shade of green. She was beautiful, and not just on the outside. She had been the only girl who not only put up with his pranks, but joined in, and covered up for everyone if plan went awry.  
  
Lily sat down next to him, not looking nervous at all. She had gotten a lot of practice at acting, hanging out with the Marauders for four years. James just grinned overboldly at her, then wrapped both of his arms around her waist. James had always been the courageous one. If she had met him at six, he would have been the perfect knight-in-shining-armor for all of her little girl fantasies. Even at fourteen, Lily could almost picture him slaying dragons for her still.  
  
She put her hands on his shoulders, and they both leaned forward. It was a first kiss for both, and they all knew it. They closed their eyes, moved closer. Their lips connected. They leaned into each other and just kissed. A few seconds later, when every other kiss had stopped, they showed no signs of parting. Only when Sirius, with a grin, coughed out an, "Ahem!" did they part. Both were reluctant to part, embarrassed about the whole affair, and a bit confused on exactly what had happened. James just flashed Lily a nervous grin as she went to sit down.  
  
Then it was Sirius's turn. The girls got into a circle. All the girls had already kissed once, but that didn't matter. He thought all three were pretty and would willingly lock his lips with anyone it landed on. He spun the bottle with a slight chuckle. All three girls watched him as the bottle spun. Sirius Black had the build of a football player at fourteen. He was the jock of the group, though Arabella and James both played quidditch as well. Apparently beating a bludger built muscles. He was not short either. Only this year had he and James become close in height, he had been the tallest since they were eleven. His eyes were very dark brown, but they were not quite as warm as James's. Instead, his eyes gleamed with amusement at everything. He was the wild one, the bad boy of the group. Of all of them, he looked like he chose to wear the black robes that all students had mandatory.  
  
All three girls turned back to watch the bottle as it slowed to a stop. For the first time, the bottle landed right between two people. The bottle neck pointed smack between Lily and Arabella.  
  
Lily felt a little queasy for the first time during the game. Though her facial expression did not change, she hoped that Sirius would pick Arabella. She tried to tell herself that it was just because she knew Ara liked him, somewhere deep inside Lily knew the truth. She only wanted to kiss James.  
  
James felt the world plummet. For the past few seconds, he had been wondering if Lily liked him. If she kissed another guy, and she didn't kiss that guy the way she kissed James, then she had to like James. All of a sudden, James realized that he didn't WANT another guy kissing Lily, even during a game of Spin-the-Bottle. James tried to make Sirius look at him, but his best friend never turned around. He couldn't give him a sign, couldn't try to tell him without making it obvious to everyone. Please, Sirius, he thought to himself. Please not Lily.  
  
Sirius grinned wickedly as he looked between them. Though Hazel was pretty, she wasn't his type of girl, a bit too timid. He wanted someone bolder, and Lily and Arabella were both bold. He looked at them both, tried to figure out what would happen if he picked one or the other. Hmm, James obviously liked Lily, and that feeling was mutual. As much fun as rocking the boat could be, that one was on shaky waters already. He couldn't risk it. Meanwhile, he KNEW Ara didn't like Peter, and she still kissed him like she did. Wonder if she would kiss me like that, Sirius thought to himself.  
  
"Hey, Ara," Sirius finally said, smiling as he sat down in front of her. Lily and James both gave a little sigh of relief, saw each other sighing, and looked away with a little blush.  
  
"Hey, Sirius," Ara replied with a wild grin. With no hesitation, he put his hands on her hips, and she put hers on his shoulders. The two put their lips together, making perhaps the most intense kiss of the game.  
  
After a little while, longer than James and Lily had kissed, James winked at Lily, then coughed loudly. Sirius, without moving his lips, just used one hand to give James a rude gesture. Hazel gasped, "Sirius!" and then Arabella and Sirius had to separate because they started laughing.  
  
When the laughing stopped, Arabella whispered something in Sirius's ear, then Sirius replied just as quietly. Peter grinned evilly at everyone, "Well, that was fun. Shall we keep playing?"  
  
"Nah," James replied. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day."  
  
James's comment was perfectly timed. Right then, Mundungus Fletcher stood up. With a cheerful, perky catcall, he cried, "Team! It's beddy-bye time!"With laughs and groans, most of the Gryffindors got up and went to bed. 


	11. The After-Effects of Boredom

James and Sirius grinned. Remus was off studying with Peter for Potions, since they both needed extra help, which left them on their own. They just sat in their room, plotting their next prank.  
  
"We're running low on dungbombs," Sirius told James.  
  
"Hmm," James thought, "we can always restock at Hogsmeade before Christmas. What about acid pops? Those are always fun."  
  
"I dunno, James. We've only got three left."  
  
James grinned wickedly. "That's enough for the girls, at least."  
  
"No way!" Sirius said with a laugh.  
  
James suddenly looked at his best friend, suspicious. "Since when did you care what pranks we play on the girls?"  
  
Sirius sheepishly looked at the floor. "Since Ara asked me out." If James didn't know better, he would have thought his best friend was actually blushing.  
  
"Since WHAT?" James shouted. "When?"  
  
"When we were playing Spin-the-Bottle." Still Sirius stared at the ground.  
  
James just looked at his friend, dumbfounded and angry and jealous all at once. "You're going out with Arabella?"  
  
"Yeah," Sirius replied. Jumping on the defensive, he added, "She's smart, and funny, and she stands up to us, and..." Sirius finished in a little blush.  
  
"And...?" James asked.  
  
"And she's a good kisser."  
  
James just laughed, shaking his head. "Sirius 'n Ara, sitting in a tree! K- I-S-S-I-Owwwww!" The last two letters were cut off by what would probably be a bruised chest, courtesy of his best friend. "Good luck with her, Sirius." Maybe I'll get lucky too someday, he added silently.  
  
"When are you asking Lily out?" Sirius always seemed to magically know what James was thinking.  
  
"I dunno. Does she like me?"  
  
Sirius punched his best friend's arm. "Of course she likes you! I saw the way you two were kissing!"  
  
"Yeah, but I've been avoiding her lately. Embarassed, I guess."  
  
"Well, stop doing that! If you like her, you have to tell her."  
  
"Since you would know, Sirius. You have had so much experience with women." James just barely missed Sirius's first punch, but there were three hits.  
  
"Oh well, three acid pops should be enough to get Snape at least once before he catches on, maybe even use all three." The two went back to their planning, silently agreeing to drop the subject... for now. 


	12. A Ball Approaches

Lily, Hazel, Arabella, and two dozen other girls crowded around the flyer. Arabella had been the first to grab the paper, and she read it aloud for all who were not close enough to see, "The Hogwarts Ball! Valentine's Day, February 14th, beginning at 6 o'clock. Dress Robes Required, Bring a Date! Fourth Years and Up Only!"  
  
"Our first dance!" Hazel giggled serenely as the three friends slowly distanced themselves from the crowd. "I can't wait!"  
  
"Who are you going to bring?" Arabella asked Lily and Hazel.  
  
Hazel sighed. "I don't know yet."  
  
"Remus?" Lily asked Hazel with a sly smile. "You've had a crush on him for a while."  
  
"I really don't know. I like him, but what if he asks someone else?" Hazel, who was beginning to blush, decided to change the topic. "What about you, Lily? Maybe James?"  
  
"James and I are just friends," Lily said.  
  
Arabella winked at her with a grin. "Yeah, friends. Right, yeah, uh- huh. I saw how you two kissed!"  
  
"So I suppose you'll go with Sirius then, Ara?"  
  
Arabella smiled possessively. "We've been going out for three monthes now. I should think so!"  
  
"We'd better hurry," Hazel said with a sigh. "It's almost time for history."  
  
When the three girls entered Professor Binns' classroom and sat down, the boys behind them immediately started whispering nervously.  
  
"I am definitely going to ask Ara to go with me," Sirius told James. "Who are you going with?"  
  
"I don't know," James said, but his eyes betrayed him. As he spoke, his eyes followed Lily.  
  
"I think somebody's got a crush!" whispered Sirius just a little too loudly.  
  
James elbowed him. "Lay off, Sirius. So maybe I DO like her. That doesn't mean I'll ask her to the ball or anything!"  
  
"You should, James," Remus replied. "I think she likes you too."  
  
"Who are you taking?" James asked Remus.  
  
"I think I might ask Hazel." All three of his friends started snickering. "What? She's pretty, polite, and I think she likes me!" Peter was still laughing. "Like you should talk, Peter!"  
  
Peter shuffled his feet. "I probably will ask someone, I just don't know who yet." He sighed and stared at the floor. "No one will want to go with me though."  
  
James just patted Peter on the shoulder. "We'll find you someone, don't worry about it. What about Patti?"  
  
Peter blushed. He had mentioned liking the shy, plump Hufflepuff girl once, and Sirius had teased him to no end about it. "Yeah, maybe..." he mumbled.  
  
***  
  
James walked down the steps slowly, saw Lily across the common room. Feeling the familiar lurch in his stomach, he forced his feet to walk towards her. She was with Hazel and Arabella, like always. Why couldn't girls ever go somewhere without all their friends? It's not like they'd get lost or anything, and she'd be easier to talk to without them snickering. Oh well, Potter, he thought to himself. Let's get this over with.  
  
"Lil?" James asked. "Can I talk with you for a minute?"  
  
The girl with hair the color of flame and eyes like emeralds, the girl who seemed confident about everything, the girl who made his knees shake, was suddenly blushing. "Sure, James. Ara, Hazel, I'll be right back."  
  
The two walked a few feet, towards a corner of the common room. James opened his mouth, shut it again. "Lily, everyone's watching us."  
  
"Not everyone, Jamie," she replied. That was her nickname for him, Jamie. If any of the guys found out she called him that, he'd never hear the end of it.  
  
James shook his head. "Your friends are, and mine too. Who knows how many other Gryffindors are staring right now?"  
  
Lily stared at James for a second, looked around, and stared at James again. "Do you want to go somewhere else and talk?"  
  
Relieved, James replied, "Yeah, that would be a good idea."  
  
"Where?" Lily asked.  
  
James thought a moment, suddenly nodded. "I know just the place. Come on."  
  
The two left Gryffindor Tower, with at least five pairs of eyes staring at their backs.  
  
They climbed up several flights of stairs. After the third staircase, Lily paused for breath. "Is all this really necessary?"  
  
"Trust me, it's worth it."  
  
"Jamie, where are we going?" Lily asked, one thin eyebrow raised.  
  
"You'll see when we get there," was the only reply James would give.  
  
The two walked up stairs for ten minutes more, finally nearing what had to be the top of Hogwarts. A closed door stood in front of them. "Close your eyes," James whispered to her.  
  
"Excuse me? James Fineus Potter, you have spent nearly fifteen minutes making me climb stairs, all so you can talk to me alone. Now, you want me to close my eyes. What for?"  
  
Looking boyishly hansome, totally overconfident, James only smiled. "Trust me."  
  
All Lily could think of was a time four years ago. She hadn't been able to get on the train. A boy walked up to her, a brash boy with unruly black hair and shining brown eyes. 'Just run through the wall,' he had said. When she had looked at him like he was insane, he had simply said, 'Trust me.' Lily smiled at James and closed her eyes.  
  
She felt him grab her hand, then heard a door creak open. He led her across what was probably a hallway, but it slanted upwards slightly. Another door opened, and Lily felt a rush of cool air hit her face. "You can open your eyes," James whispered.  
  
Lily opened her eyes and gasped. It was so beautiful! They were in the very top tower of Hogwarts, and they could see the countryside for miles around. It was nighttime; the full moon was gleaming and the stars all shined bright. Lily found herself wondering, not for the first time, if Hogwarts was actually in England at all. Her country was known for its fog, yet she could see trees at least three or four miles off.  
  
James just watched her with a half-smile. "This was the old astronomy tower. They stopped using it when my mum was here because the new magical telescope wouldn't fit up the stairs."  
  
"Why didn't they shrink it?" Lily didn't really look at James as she spoke, just kept staring raptly at the land below.  
  
"It would have needed too much shrinking solution, and the current astronomy tower has a wider roof anyway." He was making small talk, beating around the bush. Dammit, Potter, he thought to himself, just ask her already! "Lil, I have to ask you something." Well, that was original, he thought to himself with a laugh.  
  
"Sure, Jamie, what is it?" She half blushed, half smiled. She suddenly noticed that James was still holding her hand, and she gave it a nervous little squeeze.  
  
He hadn't forgotten he was holding her hand, and her touch was comforting. Okay, time to get it over with. "Remember when we played Spin- the-Bottle?"  
  
She smiled nervously at him. "Yes..."  
  
"Well I just, um. Lil, I don't want to scare you or anything, but I can't stop thinking about that kiss. I like you, Lily, a lot." He was blushing furiously. "Anyway, there's a ball coming up, on Valentine's Day, and well, I need a date."  
  
The bravest boy Lily ever knew was stammering and staring at his shoes. Lily wanted to giggle, fall into his arms, and run away all at once. It was a funny feeling, one that no textbook could prepare her for. Was he asking her? Yes, yes he was. Should she play hard to get? Yes, yes she should. "So I should help you find someone to go with?"  
  
James looked at her like his world had cracked right down the middle. "Yeah, I suppose," he muttered.  
  
Maybe hard to get was not the best approach. "I was kidding! Jamie, are you asking me to go with you?"  
  
"Well, if you want to go..." and his voice trailed off, getting lost in the ground far below.  
  
"I'd love to go with you," Lily said with a laugh.  
  
His face broke into the most handsome smile she had ever seen. It was like he had transformed. Maybe it was the moonlight, maybe it was the view for miles. Maybe it was just that they had finally admitted that they liked each other. Whatever it was, Lily took a hesitant step towards James, and he took a tentative step towards her. They stood only a foot apart then, still holding hands.  
  
"I like you too, Jamie," she whispered.  
  
God, she was beautiful, he found himself thinking. Her fiery hair was floating in the breeze. A strand broke free of her loose ponytail, whipped in her face. James reached up to brush it away, found his hand touching her face. He caressed her cheek gently, smiling at her softly.  
  
Lily took another step towards him. If they were any closer, they would be touching. They couldn't have that... could they? His fingertips were still stroking her cheek. She closed her eyes, relishing the feeling. She felt him moving closer, felt his body almost in contact with hers. Then, without either of them moving, their lips met.  
  
The kiss was sweet, gentle. Her free arm reached up, wrapped around his neck. He let go of her hand, wrapped his arm around her waist. They just stood there, their lips touching softly. They were so wrapped up in the moment, they never heard five pairs of footsteps creeping away. 


	13. Epiphany

James sighed, put his head down on the heap of open books. Half between exhaustion and rage, he began to mumble to himself, words that would make Hazel blush, words that fifteen year olds aren't supposed to know. He would never get this! Never! He had been trying, along with Sirius and Peter, to do this for nearly three years. The knowledge was there, under his fingertips, but the magic wouldn't come!  
  
Day after day, James had come to the library, sometimes with Sirius, sometimes alone. He had tried every book with even a passing reference to what he sought, yet to no avail. For every idea he had, there were a dozen reasons why it would never work.  
  
Long hours of work had lent James the unfortunate habit of talking to himself. "Alright, Potter, time for some light reading before you snap." He rose, putting the tomes back in twos and threes. "Just one more book, then to bed."  
  
As he was putting the last volume away, James saw something that caught his attention. It was a slim hardbound book, with a cover the color of Lily's eyes. "The Nature of Magic" it read, with slim golden letters.  
  
Picking up the book under his arm, James checked it out, signing his name with a flick of his wand, then brought it back to Gryffindor Tower. Flopping down in one of the cushy armchairs in the common room, he opened the book to a random page (James hated starting school books at the beginning) began to read.  
  
  
  
"The nature of magic is not what the common mage all too often believes it to be. Magic neither a weapon nor a tool, designed to be picked up, used, and then discarded at the mage's convenience. Nor is it exact, precise. There is no defined measurement of magic, no set rules for the exact manner in which each spell carries itself out.  
  
Magic is much more than that, or at least it has the potential to be. Magic is an art form. It is an extention of the mage who wields it. It also IS the one who wields it. A powerful mage never hates himself.  
  
Magic must be treated properly. It is a lover, a friend, and a mentor, all at once; yet it is also a mortal enemy and a bitter rival. Mages must understand both aspects to wield the power magic can command, but be forewarned: those who fully and truly understand magic in this light are never thirsty for power. Instead, they know intimately that they have always possessed that power within themselves."  
  
  
  
James just stared blankly at the page for a long time. He felt like leaping for joy, like crying with happiness. He understood, at last he understood! Yet somehow, he found that he could not move. His legs would not support him if he tried to stand, his arms gripped the chair rigidly.  
  
After what must have been hours, James stood. He stood slowly, shakily, but he stood. He quietly went up to the boys' dormitory, put the book on his nightstand, and went into the attached bathroom and locked the door. No one else must be allowed to see this.  
  
Gripping his wand firmly with one hand, James opened his mouth. For the first time, he did not concentrate on the syllables, he did not worry about his pronunciation. He whispered, in the ecstasy of magic, "Meus Animagus Altnerus", tapping his forehead with the wand.  
  
Even as he breathed the last syllable, James could feel the magic working. His entire body quivered as he suddenly grew hair, a rather ticklish sensation. He was forced to go down on all fours, even as he felt his spine lengthen and realign with a sickening popping sound. It was not as painful as James had always suspected it would be. His neck grew the most, even as his torso broadened.  
  
His kneecaps completely shifted to the back of his legs with a painful sounding snap, nearly knocking James off his feet. He found himself staring at his feet. He barely kicked off his slippers before his feet grew, his toes melding together and hardening into hooves. The same was happening to his hands, James realized. Then, at the end of it all, the most amazing thing happened: James's skull started to reform itself! His jaws lengthened and narrowed, forming a snout, even as bony points sprouted on the top of his skull.  
  
Only when the transformation was complete did James have the courage to look in the mirror. Where there should have been a lanky fifteen year old wizard, there now stood a proud stag. No longer was their a mass of unruly black hair; now there were antlers. Two antlers with five beautiful prongs each. Prongs. Hardly noticing that he could still speak in this form, James began to laugh quietly, a silent, startled chuckle that echoed from the barrel chest of a deer. "Prongs. I am Prongs!" 


	14. She Deserves Better

Lily and Arabella walked into the girls' communal bedroom laughing, only to find Hazel lying in bed, softly weeping her eyes out. They ran over, putting their arms around her reassuringly. Arabella asked, "What's wrong? Hazel, are you okay?" They all knew that Arabella would hurt whoever had made Hazel cry, just by the tone of her voice.  
  
The shy, sweet girl just looked up at her two best friends with puffy, red eyes. She had apparently been crying for quite a while. "Remus said, that, it would be best for both of us if, if, if h-he and I..." Hazel managed to say, before falling apart completely.  
  
"Oh jeez," Lily whispered. Even if Hazel couldn't say it, they all knew Remus had broken up with her. Lily just shook her head, giving Hazel a squeeze. "Did he say why?"  
  
Hazel tried to speak, but was crying too hard to get the words out. She just shook her head, weeping, holding something on a golden chain she wore around her neck. Lily and Ara both knew what it was: a little gold heart pendant Remus had given her a few monthes ago. Hazel never took it off.  
  
Lily shook her head. "I think I know why, Hazel. I'll be right back. Ara, stay with her, okay?" Arabella nodded wordlessly, scooting closer to Hazel on the bed and just hugging her. As proud and arrogant as Ara could be sometimes, the three girls were closer than sisters.  
  
Lily stormed out of the girls dormitory, fuming all the way down to the Gryffindor common room. She scanned the room quickly, searching for a Marauder, any Marauder. Finally, she found James. He was alone, reading of all things. What were the odds?  
  
"Jamie," Lily said, running over to him. "Go get Remus. Now. I need to talk with him." James just looked at her, his dark eyes confused. "NOW, James! Hurry up. Where's Remus?"  
  
"Um, I think he's in our room. Why?"  
  
Lily shot him The Glare, the one that gave her emerald eyes that dangerous glint, that reminded James she had a red-head's temper. "He broke up with Hazel."  
  
James whistled softly. He instantly knew what had happened, just like Lily had. "Damn it!"  
  
"Damn it is right. Go get him, I need to talk with him. Now."  
  
James just looked at Lily for a second, then nodded. He got up and swiftly headed for the boys dormitory.  
  
James found Remus curled up in a little ball on his bed. "Hey, Moony. What's up?"  
  
"Nothing, Prongs. I'm trying to get some sleep though. Talk to you later," his friend replied. James could hear the tremble in his voice. He was crying, James realized dully. Damn it, now what?  
  
"Moony, come on. Get up, I need you to come down to the common room for a bit."  
  
"James, I'm tired. Please. Today sucked, I need to get it over with as fast as possible." His voice was still shaking.  
  
James sighed. "Look, do I have to get Sirius so he and I can strongarm you down there?"  
  
"Why, James? The worst bloody day of the term, and you want me to go down to the common room when I need sleep. Why?"  
  
"Lily wants to talk with you."  
  
Remus rolled over and sat up in bed. He put his head in his hands. "I was afraid this would happen. I don't want to go, Prongs. Don't make me. Please, James. Don't do this, not now. Maybe tomorrow I'll have the strength to look the girls in the eye. Not tonight."  
  
James just sighed, shook his head. "I think it would be better if you got it over with. Please, Moony. Just hear Lily out. I think she's right."  
  
With a helpless look on his face, Remus stood up. He quietly followed James out into the common room. Lily was waiting for him.  
  
All right, Moony, Remus thought to himself. Time to get this over with. It took him a moment to realize that Lily was already talking. "Bye, James. We'll see you at dinner." Without a word, James left, abandoning his friend to his fate.  
  
Lily smiled at Remus, trying to sound casual, pleasant. "So, Remus, I was just talking to Hazel," she said, watching him closely for a reaction, any reaction. At the sound of Hazel's name, Remus had shuddered, looked away. "And, well, she couldn't quite tell me what had happened between you two. Would you mind filling me in on some of the details?"  
  
Remus just looked at her, dully whispered, "I broke up with her, about an hour ago. I think it's for the best."  
  
"Do you?" Lily asked softly, and Remus nodded, still avoiding her gaze. "Well, let me tell you something. I think I know why you did this. Because of your 'illness', right?" she asked. They all knew better than to talk about Remus's lycanthropy in the common room. He nodded again. "That's not a reason. Hazel knew about it when you two started going out. She doesn't love you any less for that, and you know it."  
  
Remus finally met Lily's gaze then. His eyes, usually a sensitive, friendly grey, were flashing darkly. Lily found herself drowning in his gaze, suffocating in those stormy orbs. Somehow, even after all of these years, she had never realized how dangerous a werewolf could really be. "I'm evil, Lily. A monster. Don't ever forget that." With those words, Remus practically ran back to the boys' dorm. He got back into bed and fell into a fitful sleep, seeing his terrible dreams.  
  
  
  
***  
  
Remus was suddenly jolted awake by rough hands shaking his shoulder, a voice whispering furiously at him. "You little idiot! You damned bloody idiot! How stupid can you be?"  
  
"Lemme lone," Remus muttered, rolling over.  
  
The hands would not let him go back to sleep, instead shaking him even more violently. "Nice try, Moony. Get up, you moron! You stupid git!" The insults grew gradually worse, until their severity forced Remus to open his eyes.  
  
It was dark outside, raining. There was only one light on in the room, and it only seemed to lengthen the shadows instead of banishing them. Sirius, a very dangerous sixteen year old, was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking furious. For a second, Remus was afraid that one of his best friends was about to kill him. Then he woke up all the way and realized the truth: Sirius WAS going to kill him.  
  
"Yeah, Sirius? What do you want? What time is it?"  
  
Remus's tall, bad-boy friend just roughly pulled Remus into sitting up. "Why did you do it, Remus? Why?"  
  
"So, who told you." It was a statement, not a question. Not that Remus knew the answer, he just didn't care.  
  
Sirius sighed. "They didn't need to. You and Hazel both skipped dinner. So, I asked James what happened, and the look in his eyes told me all I needed to know. Well, almost everything. Why, Remus, why? The one thing I don't know is why."  
  
"She deserves better. Much better."  
  
"That's bull and you know it!" Sirius practically shouted.  
  
Remus just laughed, a tired, forced, unnatural laugh. "I'm a monster, Padfoot. A monster. One day, I might just tear one of you into little pieces, eat your flesh. I'm a MONSTER! Doesn't that bother you?"  
  
"It never has, it never will. You should know that by now. We don't care if you have a disease! Why would we? I thought you knew us better than that by now." Sirius sounded disgusted, disappointed. "Is that why you broke up with her?"  
  
"I don't think you realize what I'm capable of, Sirius. If there was a full moon tonight, I could transform into a monster right before your eyes, leaving you with no time to get away. Then, I would rip your belly open, sucking out your internal organs one by one. And the sad, sick thing is, you might still be conscious while I do it. Hazel doesn't deserve that, she deserves better. I don't want to hurt her down the line. It's not worth it. I'd rather I break her heart now than kill her later." Remus had begun to cry as he spoke. Little beads of transparent liquid slowly drifted down his cheeks, with him unawares.  
  
"You are so stupid!" Sirius shouted furiously. "Hazel loves you. Do you realize that? She LOVES you! Very few people feel that at sixteen. And you throw it all away on the chance of what might happen in the future... I can't believe that you would willingly lose her. No one in his right mind would give Hazel up, if he had a thing with her like you did. And you threw it all away. You are just plain stupid. You've lost her, Remus. Now you don't have Hazel anymore, because of how much you hate yourself. How is this fair to her at all? She obviously thinks you are worth SOMETHING..." He sighed deeply. "But maybe you're right. After all, you've just ditched a girl because you don't think you are good enough for her. Maybe you're right, maybe you aren't. If you're stupid enough to give Hazel up, then she definitely deserves much better!"  
  
With those words, Sirius left, practically flying out of the room. He didn't even look at Remus as he slammed the door shut behind him.  
  
Remus was shaking. Sirius was right, Sirius was always right. He loved Hazel, she loved him. Maybe, if he asked her again...  
  
Remus was too lost in contemplation to hear James and Sirius whispering outside the door. "I think it worked," Sirius said excitably. "Now we just have to hope I didn't scare him too much."  
  
"Nah," James replied excitedly. "Reverse psychology works every time! Oldest muggle trick in the book!"  
  
***  
  
Hazel did not come down to the common room before breakfast. After arguing with himself for nearly fifteen minutes about what to do, he finally walked up to Lily. "Lily, where's Hazel?"  
  
Lily just smiled knowingly. James had told her about everything he and Sirius had done last night. "I'll go get her." She pushed her smile back. One last piece of intimidation, she thought to herself. "Oh, and Remus?" she said, calmly turning around. "If you hurt Hazel again, the moon will be the least of your worries," she whispered before going up to the girls dormitory.  
  
About five minutes later, a slightly bedraggled Hazel came trudging down the stairs. God, he had hurt her that badly? Her hair was all bushy and loose, not in a braid or a ponytail like it normally was, her glasses were on slightly crookedly, and her hazel eyes were puffy and almost as green as Lily's because she had been crying so much. A gentle gleam from something on her chest, a gold pendant. She hadn't taken off his necklace, there was hope!  
  
Remus wanted to run to her, crush her in his arms. He couldn't, not yet. He had to explain first. "Hazel, I need to talk to you."  
  
"That's what you said the last time," she replied quietly, bitterly. She tried a smile, but it didn't work.  
  
Remus sighed. "I deserve that, and much worse. Come on, let's go talk. Do you mind skipping breakfast?"  
  
Hazel shook her head and muttered, "I wasn't going to come down to breakfast anyway."  
  
Remus sighed. This wasn't going to be as easy as he had been praying it would be last night. Oh well, he did have it coming. After what he put her through. Wordlessly, he led her to the library.  
  
They went the entire trip without speaking. Hazel was fighting back tears. Hadn't he made himself clear? Did he need to break up with her again? This hurt too much. He wasn't looking well, she thought to herself. His mousy brown chin-length hair was all over the place and his grey eyes were troubled. Maybe he was hurting too.  
  
Remus found himself staring, couldn't look away. Hazel was so beautiful. Even when she was in hysterics, she still had that quiet, sweet beauty. She was pure, perfect, holy. How could he have let himself hurt her? He thought about taking her hand, decided to wait.  
  
They sat down together on a couch in the library. Hazel pretended to stare at a bookshelf, while Remus gazed openly at her.  
  
After a long, intense, awkward silence, Remus finally opened his mouth. "Hazel, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I've hurt you like this. I'm so stupid sometimes, you have no idea."  
  
"Why, Remus? Why?" Hazel's voice wasn't bitter anymore. Just sad. Infinitely sad. "Why did you break up with me?" At those words, she began to cry again.  
  
Remus shook as he looked at her, his breath caught in his throat. He tentatively reached out, as though against his will, and tenderly wiped a tear off her cheek. "Because of what I am. Because I'm a monster. Because you deserve better. Because I love you too much. Because the way we were going, some day, I was going to come to on the waning moon with your blood on my lips. Because I don't want that to happen."  
  
Hazel slowly stopped crying. At least, the pain was dulled a little somehow. She reached out, took Remus's hand. "Don't say that. I'm not frightened of you. I understand."  
  
"That's the problem, Hazel! You aren't frightened! I don't want to hurt you because you are trying to help me! Don't you understand? I could be a murderer, I killer, a cannibal! I have the potential to be all of that, and worse, and you aren't afraid of me!"  
  
She shook her head gently, whispering, "Of course I'm frightened of werewolves. I'm just not frightened of Remus Lupin. I'm not frightened of YOU at all, and I would hope I have common sense enough to run away should I be alone with you during a full moon!" Hazel managed a ghost of a smile.  
  
Remus was overcome. He could not speak, he could not laugh or cry. He could only reach out to her, pull her close. He kissed Hazel's forehead, whispering softly in her ear, "I love you," over and over again.  
  
"I love you too," Hazel replied immediately.  
  
Remus suddenly found it in him to laugh again. "How can you love a monster like me?"  
  
"Not a monster, never a monster. Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?" Remus shook his head. "Well, you have beautiful eyes."  
  
Remus put a finger to Hazel's chin, tilted her head up. The kiss was sweet, gentle, like their love, and it seemed to go on forever. 


	15. The Heads of Hogwarts

Lily smiled sleepily. It was very comfortable under the nice warm covers.  
  
With a sigh, she got out of bed anyway. It was early in the morning, but she had to get a start on her chores before Petunia could gripe about how she ALWAYS had to do them when Lily was at school. Her older sister was always whining about something or other, and it had gotten much worse about this time six years ago, when the first owl had brought a message to her house, telling Lily she was accepted to Hogwarts.  
  
Lily was going to begin her seventh year in about three weeks, and she couldn't wait. She had so much to tell Ara and Hazel… and James. She missed everyone so much. A lot had happened over the summer, but life was not especially exciting without the Marauders to jazz everything up, or her two best friends to share it all with.  
  
Students about to enter their seventh year were permitted to use magic outside of school, thankfully. Minor mending and cleaning charms are so useful around the house, Lily thought to herself as she began dusting the furniture, washing the laundry at the same time. A wave of a wand, and all her chores were done in less time than it would take to do one task.  
  
Everyone else in the house was getting up as Lily was finishing. She hurridly put her wand away. Not that her parents were scared of magic or anything. Quite the opposite. They expected her to cast magic to help everyone with their work, and there simply was not enough time in the day. If they saw she had her wand out, there would be at least fifteen different things that they needed her to do.  
  
Lily had put her wand into the big pocket of the pair of shorts she was wearing as she walked into the kitchen. Then she sat down at the counter. "What's for breakfast?"  
  
"French toast, honey," her mother replied sweetly. Her mother was a short, pleasantly plump woman with the same red hair as Lily.  
  
Lily's father came in and sat down. "Good, I'm starving!" He was average height, with blonde hair and green eyes, which Lily had inherited.  
  
"Get out of my way, brat!" Petunia practically shouted as she flew down the stairs and barreled into Lily. Petunia was as graceful as an ostriche, with her gangly limbs and long neck. Her thin face was always snobbish when she looked at her little sister, and her straight, dull blonde hair was pulled back into a bun most of the time.  
  
"Oh, go get a job at the library. They'll hire you on looks alone!" Lily replied irritably. Her sister rivaled some of the worst Slytherins in terms of attitude problem, and Lily was anything but patient around her.  
  
"Oh, be good both of you, for once!" their father grumbled. "Honestly, at seventeen and nineteen, one would think two sisters would get along."  
  
"One would think that a normal family would kick out any freaks that turned up," Petunia replied coldly.  
  
Lily's mother just sighed. She had long since given up any hopes of making peace between the two sisters. "Breakfast!" She laid a heaping stack of French toast on the counter.  
  
All four family members dove into the food. Throughout the meal, Petunia chatted about 'Vernie', her boyfriend of the week. Though no one was listening to her, Petunia continued to babble aimlessly about him.  
  
When the French toast was almost gone, there was a scraping sound at the kitchen window. Lily leaped up to let the tawny owl in, pointedly ignoring her sister's disgust. Lily deftly untied the small package from the owl's leg with one hand as she reached into her pocket for some owl feed. The owl fed and gone, Lily opened her package.  
  
It was a large envelope, thickly padded. Inside it, there were several pieces of Hogwarts stationary. The first paper was simply a list of required materials, like she received every year.  
  
The second paper was inside a sealed envelope. She read aloud, " 'To be opened by Lily Evans and no one else.' Hmm, interesting." Lily tried not to convey her excitement. There were only two things this could be. A prefect letter, or …  
  
Swiftly tearing open the envelope, she found a single piece of paper and a small box, little bigger than a ring box. With trembling hands she read the paper under her breath. " 'Congratulations, Lily Evans. Through your exemplary grades, you have earned the title of Head Girl. Your coleader, the Head Boy, is James Potter. Inside the attached package, you will find your Head Girl pin. Upon arrival at Hogwarts on September 1, please report immediately to Headmaster Dumbledore for further instructions.' And so on and so forth, signed by Professor McGonagall."  
  
Lily began laughing. "Mum, Dad! I did it! I'm Head Girl!" Seeing the blank looks on her parents' faces, she added with a sigh, "It's like being valedictorian. James is the Head Boy, I can't believe it!"  
  
Her mother ran over and gave her a little hug. "Honey, we're so proud of you!" Her father nodded enthusiastically, Petunia glared. It is going to be a great year, Lily thought to herself with a smile. 


	16. The Last Hogwarts Hogsmeade

It was the winter Hogsmeade trip. The seven friends, all seventeen, traipsed together merrily. Lily and James were arm in arm, Remus and Hazel held hands. Arabella had pulled Sirius's arm around her waist. Peter was starting to trail behind, so Ara and Lily wrapped their arms around his shoulders, then James linked arms with Hazel. The seven practically skipped together down the street. They had shopped and explored Hogsmeade together all day, and though they were bone tired, they were still an energetic group. "How does butterbeer sound about now?" James called out. His friends cheered, and they traipsed through the snow towards The Leaky Cauldron.  
  
They all grabbed a booth together, laughing and joshing each other. James, Lily, Remus, and Hazel sat together on one bench, while Sirius, Arabella, and Peter took the opposite seat.  
  
Madame Rosmerta, a kind little motherly witch, walked up to them, "What'll it be, kids?"  
  
"Seven butterbeers, please, Miss Rosmerta," replied James with an innocent smile.  
  
A moment later, the kind witch returned with a tray of mugs. "Here you are, boys and girls. Drink up!"  
  
After everyone had suitably warmed up and was fairly settled down, Lily looked at them all and smiled. "I can't believe it's our last year!"  
  
"Yeah," Arabella said with a smile. "I still remember getting fitted for my first robes at Madame Malkins'!" Sirius whispered in her ear, and they laughed. "You bet I looked good in 'em!" she replied with a laugh and a kiss on his cheek.  
  
Remus smiled half heartedly. "Remember the first time we rode the Hogwarts Express?"  
  
"I recall forcing you into James and Lily's car because you were too busy being polite to ask to go in!" Sirius replied with a evil grin. Lily remembered that too.  
  
Lily smiled, recalling the past. "I remember not being able to figure out where Platform 9 3/ 4 was!"  
  
"And I remember telling some redhaired idiot to run through the wall!" James replied, and they all laughed yet again. Lily leaned over to smack James, and he just pinned her to him with a grin. James put his mouth on hers, then took a swig of his butterbeer. "Butterbeer and a beautiful woman. How much luckier can a guy get?"  
  
"You just want me to not hit you, James Fineus Potter, and don't think I don't know it! You should just-!" she started to add, when another kiss interrupted her.  
  
Sirius snickered. "So THAT'S how to shut 'em up, James. I've been trying to shove a sock in the mouth of mine for a while now, but no such luck-agh!"  
  
Sirius would have continued, but he found himself with a delicate fist in his stomach. "Honestly Sirius Black, after this many years on the same quidditch team, you should know that I'm dangerous!" Arabella said with a haughty laugh.  
  
"That's why I like you so much," Sirius replied with a deep cackle.  
  
All seven had by now finished their butterbeers. Another round was supplied by Madame Rosmerta almost instantaneously.  
  
"Here's to memories!" Hazel cried happily, raising her mug.  
  
The seven nodded to each other, all smiling. "To memories!" They chinked their cups of butterbeer together and took deep swigs.  
  
Then Peter added, "Here's to making a head boy and head girl out of the same circle of friends!"  
  
Everyone hoisted their mugs again, "To James and Lily!" much to the embarassment of both.  
  
"Aw, come on. We don't deserve you guys!" Lily said with a sweet smile. She gave Hazel a hug and patted Peter on the shoulder from across the bench. Peter blushed and grinned, his freckles standing out even more sharply than normal.  
  
"So, now what?" Hazel asked quietly after everyone had settled down again. "Where do we all go from here?"  
  
"I want to get into the aurors," James said thoughtfully.  
  
Sirius nodded, "Me too."  
  
"We all know I'm going to R&R's," Lily said with a smile. Rowena Ravenclaw's University was the most academic of the wizarding colleges in Europe. "Hazel, what about you?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet," Hazel said with a sigh. "I think I might try to get into hands on work, a nursery or preserve somewhere." The whole group knew her best subjects were Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. "Remus?"  
  
"You guys KNOW where I'm going," he said in a whisper, looking much older than seventeen. They did know. Though lycanthropy could be prevented nowadays, there was no cure for advanced cases like his. Remus wanted to find one, needed to find one.  
  
The silence stretched, and finally Arabella spoke. "Well, I hope to be a professional chaser in a year or two."  
  
Sirius snickered at his girlfriend. "Chasing what?"  
  
Arabella just smiled innocently, examining her nails casually while she spoke. "I dunno, maybe chasing after a new boyfriend...!"  
  
"Oh really?" Sirius asked with a pretense of pain. He began to shout melodramatically, "I couldn't live without you, Ara! Don't leave me! Please, my sweet!" Every patron of the Leaky Cauldron turned to stare, just in time to see Arabella punch him hard on the arm.  
  
They all got a good laugh out of that, and Lily gave Arabella a high-five. "Nice one!" James and Sirius winked.  
  
"Friends forever," James said, and they all toasted together. The future was looking bright, they were all smiling. 


End file.
